Rolling metal articles



Jan. 7, 1930. F. w. TRABOLD ROLL ING METAL ARTICLES 5 Sheei-Shet 1 Filed Oct. 6. i926 INVENTOR Jan. 7, 1930.= I F. w. TRABOLD M430 8 ROLLING METAL ARTICLE$ I Filed Oct. 6. 1926' s'sneets-sneez 2 INVENTOR F L WIM Patented Jan. 7, 1930 tJNITED STATES FRANK W. TRABOLD,.OF ALLIANCE, OHIO RoLLrNG METAL ARTICLES Application filed October 6, 1926. Serial No. 139,846.

This invention relates to the rolling of metal articles and is particularly useful for the rolling of articles of circular cross section but of varying diameter along their length,

such as automotive rear axle drive shafts or propeller shafts.

Articles of this character have been made heretofore by forging or by passing a heated leader between rolls having formed grooves cut therein.

I provide for the manufacture of such articles by rolls which do not have the shaped grooves therein but which have surfaces generated by a straight line.

1 I provide a pair of rolls with a straight line surface and impart both axial and rotary motion to the rolls. For the production of articles of varying diameter the rolls will vary correspondingly in radius at diflerent points. The contour of the rolls will depend upon the shape of the article to be rolled. In certain cases the machine may he used for the production of articles of uniform diameter, in which case of course the rolls would be truly circular. Preferably the rolls are reciprocated in such an amount that the leader between them is rotated through at least 180, first in one direction and then in the other. At the same time the rolls are rotated so as-to advance the article and present successive portions to the. leader. In certain cases it may be desirable to rotate the article through a certain angle and then to rotate it, say in the reverse direction. through a different angle. This would tend to eliminate any possibility of localizing a rupturing influence from working the metal. Ordinarily, however, it will be sufiicient to rotate the article first in one direction and then in the other in equal amounts. a

In the accompanying drawings which illus trate the present preferred embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a rolling mill;

Figure 1 is a more or less diagrammatic view illustrating the driving connections;

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line IIII of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line III-III of Figure 1;

"Figure 4 is a diagram showing apair of rolls in end view and illustrating a rear axle shaft formed thereby; and

Figure 5 is an elevation of the rolls shown in Figure 4.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention there is shown a pair of shaped rolls 2 and 3 each of which has a. surface generated by a straight line parallel to the axis of the roll but of varying radial distances from said axis. 1

The rolls are bored out to fit spindles 4 to which they are secured by keys'5. The rolls J abut shoulders 6 on the spindles 4 and the keys engage keyways in the ends of the roll so as to insure rotation of the roll with the spindles. Each spindle is provided with gear teeth 7 meshing with a spur gear 8 on a shaft 9 substantially parallel 'to the spindle. A bevel gear 10 is mounted on the shaft 9 and this gear meshes with a bevel gear 11 carried on a shaft 12.

In Figure 1 I have shown a power shaft 13 connected through gearing 14 to a shaft 15 having a universal ioint 16 thereon. A shaft 17 connects the universal joint 16 with a second universal joint 18 on the shaft 12. The shaft 15 is fixed, but it is necessary .to move the rolls 2' and 3 up and down and the shafts 9 and 12 with their associated gearing will also be moved. The above described arrangement permits of movement, within 5 limits, of the rolls and their connectionswithout disturbing the power supply.

The rolls and their associated mechanism are carried in slides 19 and 20 mounted in ways 21 in a main frame 22. Gibs 23 and 23 are provided for each slide 19 and 20. By properly adjusting these gibs the frames may be moved toward or away from one another,

thus providing a certain amount of adjustment in the size of the articles produced and also taking care of roll dressings.

The means for reciprocating the roll frames 19 and 20 is best shown in Figure 3. It comprises a shaft 24 having cranks 25 and 26 arranged 180 apart on the shaft. The

cranks 25 and 26 are connected to the frames 19 and 20 respectively by pitmen 27. The

tatein the manner of ordinary rolls.

An entering guide 29 and a delivery guide 30 are provided in the main frame for guiding the entering bar and the rolled produce.

These guides will not be subjected to any great wear because of the fact that the rolls are moving in opposite directions at the same speed and the piece will therefore tend to rotate upon its axis without lateral movement. At the same time it is fed forward by the rotation of the rolls and is thus reduced to a shape corresponding to the cross sectional shape of the rolls.

The guides will be of proper size to accom modate the particular articles being rolled and are therefore arranged for ready removal. In certain cases it may be desirable to provide the guides with an outer shell and an inner guiding sleeve which inner sleeve is mounted for rotation in the inner shell, say upon anti-friction bearings so as to eliminate guide wear and the possibility of forming guide marks on the article.

It will be seen from Figure 2 that the crank shaft 24 lies directly below the pins 28. This arrangement is effective for imparting simple harmonic motion to each of the slides. One

slide will be moving up while the other is moving down, and at any-instant they will both be moving with the same velocity.

As pointed out, the throw of'the cranks is 'such as to cause at least 180 of rotation on the piece being worked on, and as the rolls rotate, successive portions of the bar will be reduced totruly circular cross section and of diameter which depends on the radius of the rolls at the particular points which are engaging the article.

The rolls may be very readily cut and the roundness of the product will not be dependent upon die cutting operations, but 'will depend solely upon the maintenance of a roll surface whose generatrix lies parallel to the roll axis. This is a condition which may be very readily attained with ordinary cutting machinery.

The invention may be applied to the production of various articles.- to the particular form shown as it may be otherwise embodied or practiced within the scope of the following claims:

I claim: v 1. Rolling apparatus, including a pair of It is not limitedrolls -with substantially parallel axes, each roll having a working surface of varying radius forined by a generatrix which is a straight line substantially parallel to said .axes, meansvfor moving at least one roll in an axial direction, and means for rotating the rolls.

2. Rolling apparatus, including a pair of rolls with substantially parallel axes, each roll having a working surface of varying radius formed by a generatrix which is a straight line substantially parallel to said axes, means for rotating the rolls, and means for reciprocating the rolls in an axial direction.

3. The method of making circular metal articles of varying diameter valong their length, which includes introducing a metal" leader between rolls havin a working surface whose radius varies at di erent points, rotating the rolls, and .atthe same time reciproeating at least one roll.

4. The method of making circular metal articles of varying diameter along their len h, which includes introducing a metal lea er between rolls having a working radius whose radius varies at different points, rotating the rolls, and moving a roll axially.

5. Rolling apparatus including a frame, a pair of slides therein, a roll mounted on each slide, means for relatively moving the slides in such manner that the rolls move axially and in opposite directions, a relatively stationary power source, and a vibrating power shaft connecting the power source with a roll for rotating the same.

6. Rolling apparatus including a frame, a slide therein, a roll having a shaft portion journaled in the frame and movable therewith, the frame being movable axiall of the roll, a stationary power source, an connectingthe power source with a roll shaft 'at all times for rotating the same.

axial direction, and means for rotating the rolls, the rolls being similar in contour and being so arranged that corresponding parts of the two rolls lie opposite one another when they are working on'the metal being rolled.

In testimony'whereof I have hereunto set FRANK w. TRABOLD.

- my hand.

means CERTIFICATE OF coRREcrIoN. Patent No. 1,743,008. Granted January 7, 1930, to

' FRANK w. TRABOLD.

It is herebycertified that error" appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 91, claim 4, for the word "radius" read "surface"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may the casein the Patent Office.

-- Signed and sealed this 25th'day of February, A. D. 1930.

' M. J. Moore, (Seal) 4 Acting Commissioner of Patents.-

conformkto the recordof 

